1. Introduction
Introducing cultural opportunity mapping assessments and responses (COMAR).
Purpose
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To introduce an integrative planning framework – Cultural Opportunity Mapping, Assessment and Responses (COMAR) that can be used by Manawhenua.
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Key Questions
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What is COMAR?
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Take-Away Messages
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COMAR is a multiple-step integrative framework.
Māori have a range of assessment tools they can utilise. |
We must begin thinking like a river if we are to leave a legacy of beauty and life for future generations.
David Brower
An integrative way forward
The COMAR framework proposed explicitly recognizes that Manawhenua engage in planning processes to achieve specific cultural outcomes. With limited capacity within whanau, hapu and iwi, it is imperative that the projects undertaken do enable more effective participation, which will be judged by the outcomes delivered. An integrative process that has been trialed within the rohe of Ngai Tahu is shown in Figure 1. This process has three parallel streams –
This process has, as its central tenet, delivering cultural outcomes to Manawhenua. However, it also requires examination of the causes of alterations, and the scale of the alterations that have resulted in cultural impacts both positive and negative being experienced by Manawhenua. Ultimately it is these impacts that may serve to limit realisation of outcomes. Each of the components in Figure 1 is described in the paragraphs that follow. |
Stream 1: Delivering cultural opportunities for Manawhenua
Values
What are the values and significance of the area / resource?
Attributes of the respective beliefs, values or cultural practices are documented in this step in the process (Tipa, 2010). Maori values are often detailed in resource management documents including Cultural Impact Assessments* and Cultural Values Reports*. Although section 6 (of the full Guidelines Report) requires managers to recognise and provide for these cultural concepts, it is not always explicit how this occurs within current management processes, especially flow setting processes.
What are the values and significance of the area / resource?
Attributes of the respective beliefs, values or cultural practices are documented in this step in the process (Tipa, 2010). Maori values are often detailed in resource management documents including Cultural Impact Assessments* and Cultural Values Reports*. Although section 6 (of the full Guidelines Report) requires managers to recognise and provide for these cultural concepts, it is not always explicit how this occurs within current management processes, especially flow setting processes.
Cultural Association
This step provides a general overview of the relationships of Manawhenua with the defined area or resource and as noted above is akin to a Cultural Values Report. Methods of data collection include hui and interviews with key informants (mandated by Manawhenua) to explore the diversity and complexity of cultural relationships with a catchment before defining how their relationship and interactions are affected by aquatic conditions. Gaining perceptions of changes to conditions over time, and the impact of these changes on values and practices, is fundamental. We acknowledge that whanau across New Zealand are already engaged in documenting their association with freshwater.
This step provides a general overview of the relationships of Manawhenua with the defined area or resource and as noted above is akin to a Cultural Values Report. Methods of data collection include hui and interviews with key informants (mandated by Manawhenua) to explore the diversity and complexity of cultural relationships with a catchment before defining how their relationship and interactions are affected by aquatic conditions. Gaining perceptions of changes to conditions over time, and the impact of these changes on values and practices, is fundamental. We acknowledge that whanau across New Zealand are already engaged in documenting their association with freshwater.
Cultural Mapping, including cultural opportunity mapping
The process for identifying the cultural aspirations of Manawhenua is via an attention to cultural opportunities. Aquatic conditions can impact the quality and condition of a site and consequently the opportunities afforded Maori. Significantly, these same aquatic conditions can also be manipulated to provide cultural opportunities. This stage, however, is premised on Manawhenua being able to describe the opportunities they seek. Diversity of belief, value and practice is accommodated within the process as the cultural opportunities sought are informed by traditional, historic and/or contemporary values of participants, and may be akin to ecological, economic, recreational, aesthetic and social opportunities sought by others, while some are distinctly cultural. Importantly it does not separate economic aspirations from a cultural context.
Graphically representing interests has been used successfully in environmental conservation (Puginier, 1999). Using a participatory mapping methodology also recognises that visual depictions, especially maps and aerial photographs, are an important tool for communicating with hapu and whanau. They can be used at a variety of scales and have the potential to integrate with GIS to further manipulate and analyse data in different themes or layers to produce an overall map/dataset that can be useful for a range of planning purposes. Figure 2 is an example of a topographical maps upon which Manawhenua marked their cultural interests during a mapping exercise.
Cultural Mapping therefore requires three distinct tasks to be completed.
The process for identifying the cultural aspirations of Manawhenua is via an attention to cultural opportunities. Aquatic conditions can impact the quality and condition of a site and consequently the opportunities afforded Maori. Significantly, these same aquatic conditions can also be manipulated to provide cultural opportunities. This stage, however, is premised on Manawhenua being able to describe the opportunities they seek. Diversity of belief, value and practice is accommodated within the process as the cultural opportunities sought are informed by traditional, historic and/or contemporary values of participants, and may be akin to ecological, economic, recreational, aesthetic and social opportunities sought by others, while some are distinctly cultural. Importantly it does not separate economic aspirations from a cultural context.
Graphically representing interests has been used successfully in environmental conservation (Puginier, 1999). Using a participatory mapping methodology also recognises that visual depictions, especially maps and aerial photographs, are an important tool for communicating with hapu and whanau. They can be used at a variety of scales and have the potential to integrate with GIS to further manipulate and analyse data in different themes or layers to produce an overall map/dataset that can be useful for a range of planning purposes. Figure 2 is an example of a topographical maps upon which Manawhenua marked their cultural interests during a mapping exercise.
Cultural Mapping therefore requires three distinct tasks to be completed.
- The first task involves preparation of a base map or aerial photograph upon which sites throughout a catchment are identified together with the values of each - in other words, the reasons for the site being of cultural significance are recorded. Participants and the facilitator accept that this style of mapping differs from conventional digital mapping in terms of accuracy because it is concerned with memories and observations in specific areas. Not all participants know, access and use every site drawn on these maps. Capturing the diversity of knowledge within the iwi, hapu, and whanau is important, and the groups are generally comprised of kaumatua, resource users, tangata kaitiaki, etc.
- Opportunities sought by tribal members (given the nature and extent of the values they have just mapped) are then recorded. This starts to move the mapping session to an aspirational – outcome focus.
- Finally, informants are to identify water related concerns they perceive to impact the provision of cultural opportunities at the sites mapped. These can be represented as a concept map, as shown below in Figure 3, which is recognized as an effective tool to elicit the belief systems that are used to perceive and analyse situations (El Sawy & Pauchant 1998, Weick 1979, 1995).
Visioning
A vision helps unite Manawhenua towards a purpose. It expresses ideas about what they want to see in a year’s time, or in ten years’ time, or any time in the future. A shared vision is an important element within their approach to management and, like opportunity mapping, is aspirational.
A vision helps unite Manawhenua towards a purpose. It expresses ideas about what they want to see in a year’s time, or in ten years’ time, or any time in the future. A shared vision is an important element within their approach to management and, like opportunity mapping, is aspirational.
Cultural Assessments
Cultural Assessments require detailed field assessments to be undertaken by representatives of Manawhenua mandated as having the knowledge necessary to inform the assessments. Cultural Assessments utilise the outputs of the opportunity mapping exercise, specifically the maps and aerial photographs and is premised on sites of cultural significance being assessed using indicators (of attributes) previously identified by Manawhenua. Several assessment tools are available and are currently in use by Manawhenua, for example:
Whanau and hapu across the country are undertaking cultural monitoring. The Ministry for Environment’s Environmental Performance Programme provided an impetus for an interest in monitoring. However, Figure 1 recognises that monitoring needs to take place within a context – it needs to add value to whanau, hapu and iwi planning processes.
It is important that Manawhenua identify the assessment methods that are best suited to help them understand the barriers to their aspirations being realized.
The Cultural Flow Preference Study is a specific type of cultural assessment. Manawhenua assess the extent to which they are satisfied that the flows they are observing are sufficient to deliver the cultural opportunities they seek. The application of a Cultural Flow Preference Study is described in the next webpage.
Cultural Assessments require detailed field assessments to be undertaken by representatives of Manawhenua mandated as having the knowledge necessary to inform the assessments. Cultural Assessments utilise the outputs of the opportunity mapping exercise, specifically the maps and aerial photographs and is premised on sites of cultural significance being assessed using indicators (of attributes) previously identified by Manawhenua. Several assessment tools are available and are currently in use by Manawhenua, for example:
- The Cultural Health Index for Streams (Tipa & Teirney 2003, 2006);
- State of Takiwa (Pauling 2003);
- Eel surveys (with training provided by NIWA);
- Cultural Impact Assessments (see www.qualityplanning.co.nz);
- A Cultural Flow Preference Study (Tipa & Nelson 2012);
- Cultural Indicators for Wetlands (Hamsworth 2000);
- Mauri Compass (Ruru 2017); and
- Mauri Model (Morgan 2011).
Whanau and hapu across the country are undertaking cultural monitoring. The Ministry for Environment’s Environmental Performance Programme provided an impetus for an interest in monitoring. However, Figure 1 recognises that monitoring needs to take place within a context – it needs to add value to whanau, hapu and iwi planning processes.
It is important that Manawhenua identify the assessment methods that are best suited to help them understand the barriers to their aspirations being realized.
The Cultural Flow Preference Study is a specific type of cultural assessment. Manawhenua assess the extent to which they are satisfied that the flows they are observing are sufficient to deliver the cultural opportunities they seek. The application of a Cultural Flow Preference Study is described in the next webpage.
Stream 2: Causes of alterationAlthough “causes” is a term that captures many agents and types of change, in resource management contexts often these are separated into three categories: drivers and pressures.
Drivers result in pressures, which can change a state of the resource. We understand these pressures by monitoring the state. But changes to the state have impacts which may or may not be acceptable to Manawhenua. Unacceptable impacts call for responses that mitigate an impact, restore the state, or reshape the drivers of change. Many whanau and hapu comment that they are reactive rather than proactive in resource management forums. Although the process in Figure 1 has the potential to change this by actively mitigating and restoring the state and seeking to deliver cultural opportunities sought by Manawhenua, ultimately, they still risk continually being caught in a reactive cycle unless they reshape the drivers of the alterations being experienced in their takiwa. |
Stream 3: Scale of alteration and cultural impact
Manawhenua have a unique perspective that has shaped their association with the waterways within their takiwa. This perspective, which is underpinned by values and continues to be reflected today in their beliefs, practices and their vision for the future state of their takiwa. A starting point therefore is reconstructing the historic sate of the catchment (or study area). This historic understanding of the “state” is fundamentally important as it often represents the historic reference condition that Manawhenua often seek to restore of recreate. They may be seeking environmental flows to help achieve this desired state.
Manawhenua, because of the experiential and interactive relationship with aquatic ecosystems can describe changes observed over time. For example, they are usually able to identify how river management regimes have impacted:
Cultural Uses:
Land forms and landscapes:
Dynamics of a river system:
Biodiversity changes:
The material collected as part of this participatory exercise will also provide the context within which to assess the extent to which changes within the takiwa have impacted the health and wellbeing of Manawhenua. Having access to data about historic, contemporary and future states enables several comparative analyses that can help guide a pathway forward.
Manawhenua, because of the experiential and interactive relationship with aquatic ecosystems can describe changes observed over time. For example, they are usually able to identify how river management regimes have impacted:
Cultural Uses:
- fishing sites and the species harvested from each;
- cultural materials harvested;
- swimming holes – that were safe for different age groups; and
- reaches used for waka ama or boating.
Land forms and landscapes:
- vegetation - the species and the location of these; and
- rock formations including shelters.
Dynamics of a river system:
- floods, including the functioning of flood plains and any disconnections that have resulted from river engineering (e.g. stop banks, floodgates, etc.);
- dewatering of river reaches;
- river mouth characteristics;
- flow regime components (e.g. seasonality of low flows, droughts and freshes);
- changes to water quality; and
- algal blooms.
Biodiversity changes:
- weed infestation;
- habitat changes including losses;
- species changes including losses; and
- invasive species including introduction of exotic species.
The material collected as part of this participatory exercise will also provide the context within which to assess the extent to which changes within the takiwa have impacted the health and wellbeing of Manawhenua. Having access to data about historic, contemporary and future states enables several comparative analyses that can help guide a pathway forward.
Developing Targeted Responses
Clearly the three streams described in this webpage run in parallel. However, the realities of whanau, hapu and iwi capacity and the nature of resource management forums within which they operate may mean that they progress at different speeds. Despite this, the data gathered from each stream can be woven together to inform freshwater management. Figure 1 explicitly links the cultural assessments undertaken by Manawhenua to the formulation of responses. In other words, it is premised on their responses being evidenced based. Figure 1 also identifies the need for three types of initiatives that need to be implemented to:
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Implementation, monitoring and review
The process described in Figure 1 potentially aids implementation by providing a greater level of specificity than currently utilised by resource managers. Evaluation remains a critical tool for accountable, transparent and effective management and should utilise both quantitative and qualitative techniques.
The process described in Figure 1 potentially aids implementation by providing a greater level of specificity than currently utilised by resource managers. Evaluation remains a critical tool for accountable, transparent and effective management and should utilise both quantitative and qualitative techniques.